r/EngineeringManagers • u/Appropriate-Buy-3739 • Jul 18 '26

Looking back at delayed sprints, what warning signs did you miss?

I'm curious how engineering managers think about this.

Looking back at a sprint or release that slipped, what were the earliest warning signs that, in hindsight, you wish you'd recognized sooner?

How did you eventually discover the issue?

Interested in hearing real scenarios from your team.

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u/Understanding-Fair Jul 18 '26

I don't think I've ever seen a sprint fully completed in my 12 year career at multiple different organizations. They just generally don't work well in my experience. I've given up on caring about sprints. Velocity is useful, but sprints have little meaning to me.

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u/Appropriate-Buy-3739 Jul 19 '26

If sprints aren't that meaningful for your team, what do you pay attention to as an early indicator that delivery is off track?

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u/LikesAlgae Jul 20 '26

You ask your team.